Improvement in hen-nest houses



Jt W. NICHOLS. Hens Nest-House.

No. 205,125. Patented Jun-e18, 1878.

NVENTOR ATTORN EY N, PETERS, PHuO-UTHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTONV D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. NICHOLS, OF MENDON, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEN-NEST HOUSES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 205,125, dated June 18, 1878; application tiled May 14, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH W. NIcHoLs, of Mendon, in the county of (lhariton and State of Missouri, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Hen-Nest Houses; and do hereby declare 'that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a side view of my improved hen-nest house. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof; and Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections of the same, taken through the line .fr .r and y y,

respectively.

This invention has relation to improvement in coops and houses for hens and other domestic poultry,

` The nature of the invention consists in an open coop, divided by longitudinal and transverse partitions into compartments, that are subdivided by sliding floors into nests, which oors may be readily drawn out and cleared of vermin.

It also consists in a hen-house having nestboxes arranged in tiers, all of which `except the lowest are open, and the lowest closed and provided with sliding doors, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A des ignates my improved` hen-coop, the same being preferably of rectangular form. It may be of any desired length, and is usually sufficiently wide to contain two nests, back to back. The interior of the coop is divided by vertical transverse and longitudinal partitions a and b into compartments. The partitions a at each side of the central longitudinal partition b are slotted, as shown at c, Fig. 2, the said slots being exactly on the same level and at a suitable distance apart. The compart ments formed by the partitions a b are sub- -divided by the floors d into a series of nests,

e, arranged in tiers, the one above the other and side by side. In front of each tier of nests is a perch, f, upon which a fowl will alight on its way to the same.

In order to prevent the straw out of which the nesting is usually made from being blown or otherwise getting out of the nest, I use a guard, g, closing the lower part of the nest. The iioors d extend from end to end of the coop through the slots c, and project slightly through onel of the said ends, to afford a hold to the attendant. By seizing the ends of said iioors and drawing outward, they may be removed from the coop and cleared of vermin or other litter, and when cleaned and whitewashed may be as readily replaced. The lowest tier of nests is closed, and, being designed for hatching purposes, each nest extends from side to side of the coop.

In order Vto secure proper ventilation, the boards which close in this portion are spaced, thus forming broad cracks. These nests are at one side provided with an opening, closed at pleasure by a sliding door, h, through which the hen has vaccess to and egress from the same. The roof is preferably gabled, and its eaves are carried beyond the sides of the coop a sufcient distance to prevent the drip from getting into thenest. This roof is readily detachable, in one piece or in sections, from the body of the coop, in order that its inside may be readily and conveniently whitewashed, and thus kept free of vermin.

It will be seen that by the construction above set forth a coop is constructed having perfect ventilation both in the hatching-out and laying nests, and possessing every facility for exterminating vermin and preserving the health of the fowls.

By lining the hatching-nests with tin or other metal, rats will be prevented from getting at the poults in the same.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.'The poultry-coop A, having the lvertical transverse and longitudinal partitions a b, the former having spaced slots c, and the iioors d, sliding endwise through said slots andremovable from the coop, combined, arranged, and operating substantially as specified.

2. Thehen-coop having an upper series of tiers of open laying-nest boxes, perches arranged in front thereof, and guards confining the nesting to the nests, anda lower closed tier of hatching-nests, each having an entrance closed by a sliding door, substantially as specied. In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of three witnesses.

JOSEPH W. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

CYRUs P. SMITH, GHs. V. B. SLADE, Louis BENECKE. 

